How to read legal citations in Japan
Japanese court decisions are cited by court, the date in the era calendar, and the report series. Years are counted from the start of the reign of each emperor.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Style guide: Japanese court and academic conventions. Japanese citations use the Japanese era calendar and a compact style that fits the Japanese text.
Real citations, decoded
Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.
A Supreme Court Grand Bench decision Case
- Court and type 最大判
最高裁判所大法廷判決: a judgment (判決) of the Grand Bench (大法廷) of the Supreme Court. It is shortened to 最大判. - Date 昭和48年4月4日
Showa 48, April 4. Showa 48 is the year 1973, because the Showa era began in 1926 (Showa 1). - Report 刑集27巻3号265頁
Keishu (the official Supreme Court Criminal Reports), volume 27, number 3, page 265.
This case struck down the harsher penalty for killing one's own parent as unconstitutional.
Full citation: 最大判昭和48年4月4日 刑集27巻3号265頁A Civil Code article Statute
- Code 民法
The Civil Code. - Article 709条
Article 709, the general rule on liability for harm caused by intent or negligence. 条 means article.
The Constitution Constitution
- Article and paragraph 憲法14条1項
Article 14, paragraph 1 of the Constitution: all people are equal under the law. 憲法 means Constitution, 条 means article and 項 means paragraph.
In English: Constitution of Japan, art 14(1).
Full citation: 憲法14条1項The Penal Code Code
- Article 刑法199条
Article 199 of the Penal Code (刑法), which defines murder.
In English: Penal Code, art 199. Japanese codes are cited by name and article number.
Full citation: 刑法199条Things to remember
- Era years: Showa 1926-1989, Heisei 1989-2019, Reiwa from 2019. Add the first year minus one to the era year to find the Western year.
- Keishu is the criminal reports and Minshu is the civil reports of the Supreme Court.
- English translations of laws are available from the government.
Where to find the text, free
To understand how courts and law fit together in Japan, read the Japan profile in the Legal Families Atlas.
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s citation guide is an educational overview of standard conventions. Courts and journals sometimes vary, so check the style guide before submitting or publishing. It is not legal advice. Report a mistake.
